Bean-harvester.



c. R, sfo. o. KELLER.

BEAN HARVESTER. y APPALIIOATIQN FILED APl. 7, 1914.

41,125,026.y Ptvented Jan. 12; 1915.

.'R. L 01 0. KELLER. BEAN HAWES'IERvlv APPLIGATION FILED APR. 7, 1914,

1,125,026, Patented .111112, 19.15.

.a SHEBTS-SHBET 2.

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0.111 1511. o, KELLER.y l

BEAN HARVESTER'. I AvPPLIGATIQN FILED ABIL 7,1914.

. Patented Jan. 12, 1915 v' I "Ls BTS-slums. ummm I CHARLES n..l KELLER,

or exitante, Aun o'rro o. KELLER, or saure PAULA,

CALIFQRNIA.

BEAN-HARVESTER.

Application filed Apr17,1914. Serial No. 830,133.

` relates to certain particular' improvements with a view to simplifying the harvester and to improvements in its are several 'features of improvement of which we speak in the following specifica- Y tion, but there are two to which we particularly wish to draw attention. One of these lfeatures includes the combination of the means which carries bean vines cutter to the bundling bok, and the bundler mechanism. Ilfhe conveyer vis arranged so as to compress the vines in a vertical direction; and the mechanism in the bundling conveyer from the The result of this double compression is to form the vines into a bundle suitable tor being lett on the field to d ry. Another feature of the present invention is the construction and organization of the bundling mechanism itself, lle have provided a novel forni of bundling' mechanism in which the vines are separated into liuindles and are given their last compression in a comparatively simple manner, necessitating but simple mechanism. y

These features will all be more fully pointed out as will other specific features, reference being had to `the preferred forms of device shown in the accompanying drawings, in which, Figure 1 is a horizontal plan sectionof our improved machine, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same, by line 2-2 of Fig. 1, Fig. il is a rear elevation of the machine, Fig. 1 is a section taken as indicated by line 4--4 of Fig. 2.

1n the drawings we have shown Aa suitable frame 10 .mounted upon two wheels 11 instead of four wheels as in our former machine. The frame and machinery carried thereon are more or less evenly balanced upon these two wheels, sufficient over-ball Specification of Letters Iatent.

at Oxnard and Santa Paula,

efficiency. There j y which is mounted upon l connected to the tongue 18 that the angle of the tongue with the frame box is arranged so as to com p'ress the vines in a horizontal direction.

retreated aan. ia, isis.

ance being obtained forwardly to cause the plows 13 to efliciently sink into the soil to remove the bean vines. The plows 13 and the blades 14 and the guide rods 15 are of the usual construction and operate much in. the usual manner to remove the beans from the soil and to 'move them inwardly. The plows and blades are, adjustably mounted in somewhat the usual `manner, the pivots 16 being placed as low as possible and as directly as possible .behind the plow points 13, and levers 17 being provided Jfor adjustingtlie-plows and blades. The whole machineis drawn in the usual manner by horses attached to the tongue 18 pivoted at 19 to. thelframev 10 and lever 20 is'provi ded the frame and is in such manner For instance, when the hauled over the road, or in held, the tongue will be thrown downwardly to somewhat theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, having the effect of raising the forward end' of the machine and raising the plows and can be adjusted. machine is being making turns in the -blades 13 and 14 oit the ground.

mmediately behind the plows and blades, we place our conveyer belts and 31. These belts travel over rollers 32 and 33 respectively which are mounted upon conveyer frames 34, belt 31 being adjustable to and from the belt 30, and its two ends being inn dividually adjustable so as to adjust the degree oi'convergence of the belt 31 toward the belt 30. Either one or both of the belts 230 and 31 may be driven, 1f the lower one alone is driven, as is shown in the drawings, the upper belt will be indirectly driven by the niass of vines between the belts. The drag oi the upper belt will, in this ease,

cause more or less of a rolling action of bunches of vines-between the belts; which will more or less consolidate the vines into bundles in addition to giving vertical compression to the mass of vines passing up the con veyer. ln the drawings, we have shown a chain connection 35 to the upper roller 32 of the belt 30 from the constantly rotating sha ft 3G. This shaft is driven by chain connection from the shaft 38` upon which the wheels 11 are mounted.` The chain connection 37 includes a plurality of wheels 39 mounted upon the shaft 3G and a corresponding plurality 40 mounted upon they shaft 38. The Wheels are of different sizes, so that the chain may be placed upon any set of Wheels to vary the relative speeds of the shaft 38 and shaft 36. The bundling mechanism `is driven by this shaft 36; and

the bundling box 46. This bundling box is formed with stationary front and back walls 47 and 48, its other Walls being formed by the paddles of the bundling mechanism which operate in the box. The bundling mechanism performs the general function described in our former patents, referred to,

comprising rotatable members which sepa rate the vines into individual bundles and discharge .them to a conveyer 50 beloiv the bundling mechanism. The conveyer 50 is of the general character described in our latent No. 1,058,757 and needs no specific description herein. lt is the bundling'mecn-A anism itself Which We particularly Wish to describe in this application.

-W'e provide tivo4 similar bundling members 60 mounted upon shafts 61 and G2 in the normal relative positions shown in the drawing, the shaft 61 being mounted in stationary bearings G3; and this shaft G1 is rotated by one-to-four gears 64 and 65 from the intermittently rotating shaft G6, the buiidier means rotating in the direction indicated. '.llie other bundler member GO with its shaft G12-is mounted in bearing blocks 70 ivlii-ch slide in horizontal ways 71 mounted upon the bundling box. These sliding bear ing blocks are connected by rod 72a andl compression springs 72 with sliding blocks 73 also mounted in the Ways 71 and the blocks 73 are moved back and forth along the Ways by the act-ion of links 75 connected ivitli arms 7G mounted upon oscillating shaft 77. This oscillating shaft 77 is driven by a crank 78 mounted upon the intermittently rotating shaft 66, the crank pin 79 engaging in a slotted arm 80 mounted upon the oscillating' shaft 77. The normal position of the crank shaft is shown in Fig. 4, corresponding to the normal position of the shaft 62 and the right hand bundler member 60 in Fig. 4. The mechanism is such that the parts are always left stationarily in the positions shown, after each bundling operation is completed. A The shaft 66 is' driven intermittently from the intermittently'revolving shaft 82 through the medium of a chain gearing 81; andthe intermittent driving of the 6G is suchl that it is normally left in `the shaft 38.

mamas stationary position as shown in Fig. 4:. The shaft 82 has a beveled gear 83 which meshes with a half blank gear 84 of twice the diameter of the gear 83. The gear 84 is mounted directly on the constantly rotating shaft 3G which is driven at a variable speed from The shaft 3G rotates in the direction indicated and the half-blank lgear 84 Will intermittently drive the gear S3Hthrough a whole revolution for each alternate half revolution of the gear S4, the other half revolution of the gear 84 leaving the gear S3 stationary. The gear arrangements are such, that when the blank part of the gear ,84C comes to the gear 83, the various parts are left in the positions shown. The shafts S2 and 6G make a full revolution upon each operation, the crank '78 making a full revolution and throwing 'the shaft 62 of the right hand bundler member 60 (in Figs. Sand 4:) to theV left and back again, ivhile the bundler 'members are rotating one quarter of a revolution. The gearing 65 and 6-1 between the shafts 66 and 61 are arranged in a one-toefourratio so that the shaft 61 will rotate a quarter revolution While the shaft 66 is rotating a Whole revolution. (lt will. be understood that this spefy ciiic ratio of one-tosfour is in accordance with the provision of four paddles on each of the bundlingl members, each bundling member turning through a quarter-revoluw tion from one position to the next.` [But the number of paddles is not restricted to four, although this number is preferred.) ln the normal stationary positions of the bundling members 60 the foin-"paddle elements 9G are in the positions shown. These paddle elements may be made up of spaced slats as is shown in \Figs. l and 2, or in any other suitable manner. The paddles of the right hand bundler member may carry cutting blocks 91 While the paddles of the left hand member may carry cutting knives 92 adapted to engage with the cutting blocks as is shown in Fig. 4. The right hand bundler member is driven by connection with the left hand bundler member, as will behereinafter described, in the direction indi cated; and, during the rotation of the two .members through a quarter-revolution, the

shaft 62 of the right hand bundler member is moved toward i-the shaft 61 of the left hand bundler member' and back again;

so that, instead of the opposing ends of the paddles of the members swinging downwardly andy away from each other, the cutting blocks 90 of rthe right handv bundler move downwardly With the knives 92 of the left hand member, While the shaft G2 moves toward the left 5 so that, when the movement is half finished, the parts are in the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4, inclosing a square space onehalf the -size of the space inclosed between the paddlesl the two members when they arein thenormal position shown in full lines 7 2 talre care of any enforced dii'erence between the movements.

in Fig. l. The 'springs prongs 110 mounted in two sets on 'frames 111 sliding in ways 112. Movement of the prongs toward eac other and back, over the bundling box, is accomplished by the mechanism shown in Fig.' 3. Levers 113 and 1111 are pivoted at 115 and are connected' by rods 116 and 117 to the oscillating arm 76, in such manner that when the arm moves to 4the left and back the levers 113 and 115C will move in the directions indicated fand back. Connecting rods 118 and 119 connect the levers 113 and 114, respectively, with the slider frames 111.

As the vines are forced into the bundling hox, they are forced or dropped onto the then horizontal paddles 90 of the bundling mechanisms, between the then upright pad dlosthe horizontal paddles forming the bottom oi the box, and. 'the upright paddlesl Jforming the sides ot' the box. After an interval which is determined by the speed at which the shaft 36 is driven from the shaft 38, the horizontal prongs 11G move into and across the lower end of the hood 45, directly above the bundling box, and the bundler devices begin to turn in the directions indicated and the right hand bundler bee...

gins to move inwardly toward the left hand bundler. The. cuttingbloclrs 91, may be provided with suitable prongs 120; and the vines whichiirc caught between the prongs 110 and 120 are pulled apart and the mass oli vines is thinned out, so that the knite92 will not have to cut a thick mass' of vines when it comes into contact with the cutting block 91. The knife with the cutting block 914 when the parts reach the positions shown in dotted lines. and from the dotted position to'v in Fig. Ll-; the Jfull line positiomthe knife is in action against the cutting bloclr to sever the stems of the vines and to sever the bundle being made Yfrom the next succeeding vine. The bundle ot vines is compressed in the reduced space between the l`our paddles ot the bundler and, as the bundlers move farther around, the space between their paddles opens out below and allows the Abundle, to drop onto the conveyor 50. As

'which' are about to formy the bottom of the .cluding the double rotatable -in the box, each 92 comes intocontact p n ddlcs, and

vbers so that their paddles move soon as the bundlers reach the position shown in dotted lines, the feed of vines begins above the set ofpaddles which had previously formed the sidesgot the box and bundling boxg and the operation `is repeated. v

. 'W e wish to'call particular attention to the organization of the machine including the bundling mechanisms asdescribed, in bundlers and the action to move them to separate and compress a bundle of vines'. Y f

l. In combination, means to compress vines in one direction, and means toseparate the vines into' bundles andfto'compress lthe bundles in a. direction transverse to the direction of first compression.

2. ln combination, a conveyor means having opposing belts converging vtoward each other so as to compress vines vertically, and means to separate the vines'into bundles and to. compress the. individual bundlesin a horizontal direction.' 37'90" 3. In combination, a conveyor means having Vopposing 'converging' belts one-above the other, a bundling box Vat the discharge oi' the conveyor, andmeans in the box for 'farming the vines into separate bundles and for compressing the separate bundles in a horizontal direction.

4. Vine bundling means, comprising a box, a vpair of revolving bundler members ating paddles, means to rotate the members so vvthat their paddles move downwardly and inwardly toward eachother, and means coperating with said bundler members to cause the compression of vines/held between the paddles of said members.

5. Vine bundling means, comprising a box, a pair of revolving bundler members in the box, each member comprising radiating paddles, means to rotate the membersv Il@ so that their addles move downwardly and inwardly toward each other, and means to move said members toward each other during their rotation.

6. Vine bundling means, comprising a box, a pair of revolving bundler members in the bOX, ,nach member' comprising radi ating paddles, means to rotate the members so that their paddles move downwardly and inwardly toward each other, vine cutting members on thevouter edges'f the means to move said Vmembers toward each other during their rotation.

7 Vine bundling means, comprising/a frame, a pair of. revoluble-'bundler'members mounted on substantially parallel Aaxes on the frame, each mem/ber comprising radiating paddles, .m'eans to rotate said mem wardly and inwardly toward each other, 1 3

member comprising radi 100A als \ prising a hub and evenly spaced radiating paddles, means to rotate `the paddles inter- 1 mittently through arcs equal to the spacing of, the paddles, and means to move the members toward each other during their rotation. o

9. Vine bundling means,comprisng a box, a pair of revolving bundler members in the boX mounted on.axes substantially parallel to each other, each member Comprising a hub and evenly spaced radiating paddles, vine cutting means on the outer edges of the paddles,`means V to rotate' the paddles intermittently through larcs equal to the spacing of the paddles, and means to move the members toward each other during their rotation.

l0. Vinebundling means, comprising a box, a pair of horizontal shafts in bearings" at opposite lower edges of the box,one of said shafts being Xed and the other movable in the horizontal plane of the two shafts, bunf dling members one on each shaft compris masse ing Afour radial paddles spaced at right angles from each other, means to intermittently rotate both shafts through a right angle, and-means to move the movable shaft toward the iXed shaft during the rotation of the members. v v

ll. Vine bundling means, comprising a box, a pair of parallel horizontal shafts in bearings therein at opposite lower edges of the box, one of the shafts being lXedand the other movable to and from the fixed shaft, bundling members one on'each shaft comprising four radial paddles spaced at right angles from each other, vine cuttingmeans on the outer edges of the paddles, means to intermittently rotate said members each through a right angle so that their paddles `move inwardly and downwardly toward each other, and means to move the movable shaft toward and away from the fixed shaft so that theA cutting means at the edge of paddles of' the two members are kept in engagement .during said rotation.

In witness that we claim the foregoing4 D D we have hereunto subscribed our names this 24th day of March, 1914.

CHARLES R. `KELLER- OTTO O. KELLER.

Witnesses l. Gr. FURMAN, W. C. BUSH. 

